Trolling motors are widely used on fishing boats and are most commonly found on boats used to fish inland waters, such as lakes, ponds and marshes. Standard trolling motors employ a motor body or housing having an elongate propeller support that depends from the housing and into the water. Typically, the motor is pivotably mounted to the boat. A control arm extends from the housing into the boat. This arm is utilized to turn the motor and thereby steer the boat. By axially rotating the control arm, the fisherman may also vary the speed of the vessel and in some trolling motors, the arm may be adjusted longitudinally to alternate between forward and rearward speeds. For example, pushing the control arm inwardly toward the housing shifts the motor into a forward gear, whereas pulling the control arm longitudinally outwardly causes the motor to operate in a reverse direction.
Conventional trolling motor control arms are relatively short. Most have a length of only about 5". This provides limited accessibility to the boater and often makes the trolling motor difficult to use, particularly while the boater is fishing. In order to operate the control arm for steering or varying the speed of the vessel, the boater must bend, stoop, or be seated in the boat. Not only is this uncomfortable and awkward, it severely limits the boater's ability to continue fishing while operating the trolling motor. Proper fishing for bass and other fresh water fish often requires the fisherman to be on his or her feet. For example, the fisherman is constantly casting, monitoring his or her line and/or reeling in a fish. These tasks are better performed while standing rather than sitting and are wholly impractical when the fisherman is leaning or stooping to hold the trolling motor control arm.
Extension arms have been provided, which enable the trolling motor to be steered from a standing position. However, to date, none of these known extension arms allows the boater to adjust the speed of the trolling motor or to reverse the direction of the motor while standing.